Launch of ARM®v8-M architecture extends ARM
TrustZone® technology to microcontrollers,
creating a foundation in processor hardware that makes it easier for
developers to deliver security in small embedded devices.

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 10, 2015 —
ARM has driven security for devices based on ARM Cortex®-M
processors into the hardware layer to ensure developers have a fast and
efficient way of protecting any embedded or Internet of Things (IoT)
device. This is achieved with ARM TrustZone technology, now available as
a feature within the latest ARMv8-M architecture being launched today at
ARM TechCon 2015. TrustZone helps secure data, firmware, and peripherals
by creating separate trusted and non-trusted states across the processor
system.

“By offering security, enhanced scalability, and improved debug, the
ARMv8-M architecture makes it easier for developers to meet the needs of
next generation embedded devices,” said Mike Muller, chief technology
officer, ARM. “Security is critical, yet small embedded devices often
have limited protection or are secured with software-managed security
that requires developers to have significant technical expertise. By
moving the protection down into the hardware architecture, as is
achieved with ARMv8-M, we are making security easier to implement and
much more efficient.”

Beyond the architecture, ARM is taking data protection to the next level
with the TrustZone CryptoCell product family. The enhanced security
technology creates an additional layer of hardware security and enables
the isolated storage of high value assets, offering optimized
cryptography and the lifecycle management of key materials.

“As IoT innovation and adoption continues to grow, so has the
opportunity for new cybersecurity risks,” said Shankar Somasundaram,
senior director, Internet of Things, Symantec. “Symantec has partnered
with ARM to bring trust and security to IoT devices by releasing one of
the first security commercial applications running on TrustZone and will
continue to work with ARM to deliver innovative ‘secure-by-design’
solutions for TrustZone on ARMv8-M based devices.”

Scalability

The new architecture makes it easier for developers to write code that
spans from the most energy-efficient to the highest performing ARMv8-M
based processor. It also makes it easier to integrate low power ARM
Cortex-M processors alongside more powerful Cortex-A processors, to
allow the development of higher performance system-on-chip (SoC)
products. By enhancing the industry’s ability to produce premium
embedded SoC designs, there will be new opportunities for smart
connected technology. This can benefit any sector, including health,
identification or factory machine management, where the analysis and use
of secure data can add new value.

New ARM AMBA® Specification Extends Security
to the Embedded SoC

To complement the ARMv8-M architecture, the ARM AMBA 5 AHB5
specification has been launched to extend the TrustZone security
foundation from the processor to the entire system for embedded designs.
This new version of the AHB interconnect standard is available to
download and adds security controls as well as extended memory types
required for higher performance embedded systems. AMBA 5 AHB5 supports
ARMv8-M architecture and TrustZone technology.

Ecosystem Partner Support

To further accelerate the design of ARMv8-M based systems, ARM is
providing early access to software development tools, software
abstraction layers, and the architecture reference simulation model.
These components allow system architects and software engineers to
develop a TrustZone enabled embedded or IoT application prior to the
availability of devices. The tools are available under an early access
program to ecosystem partners:

ARM CMSIS: includes functions to utilize the TrustZone
security extensions of the ARMv8-M architecture. The non-secure
programmer’s model of the CMSIS-Core allows direct migration of Cortex-M
application code.

About ARM TrustZoneARM
TrustZonetechnology provides a system approach to processor
partitioning that isolates hardware resources and software to create a
“secure” world protected from software attacks. Devices with safety and
security operating requirements can isolate and execute secure
applications in a trusted environment with priority execution over the
non-secure applications in the normal world. Devices requiring a safe
domain with dedicated peripherals for trusted applications to support
secure software updates, digital rights management, and trusted payments
can all benefit from the hardware partitioning technology provided by
TrustZone.